Estimated Prevalence and Incidence of Uterine Leiomyoma, and Its Treatment Trend in South Korean Women for 12 years: A National Population-Based Study.

Abstract

Background: Although uterine leiomyoma causes many problems, including infertility, there are few studies that have investigated the epidemiologic characteristics of uterine leiomyoma in South Korea. The aim of this study is to estimate the prevalence and incidence of uterine leiomyoma in South Korea and analyze the treatment trends. Materials and Methods: Women of reproductive age (15-54 years) were selected from the Korean National Health Insurance Service (NHIS) sample cohort dataset, which was collected from 2002 to 2013. Patients with uterine leiomyoma were identified by ICD-10 (International Codes of Disease, 10th Edition) and intervention codes. Prevalence and incidence were calculated from the NHIS cohort dataset and the treatment trends were analyzed for diagnosed patients. Results: The prevalence in overall age groups increased from 0.96% in 2002 to 2.43% in 2013, and the 1-year incidences of all age groups increased. The 26-30 age group showed the highest rate of 1-year incidence increase (2.14-folds, 0.33% in 2003 to 0.70% in 2013). The proportion of myomectomy increased from 22% in 2002 to 49% in 2013, whereas the proportion of hysterectomy decreased from 78% to 45%. Conclusions: The prevalence and incidence of uterine leiomyoma are increasing in South Korea as time progresses, and the rate of incidence increase is higher in younger reproductive women. Overall trends in uterine leiomyoma treatment are shifting to the methods of the saving uterus.